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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Robert Hynes

Katie Taylor fans all saying the same thing after latest fight announcement

Katie Taylor will return to the ring next month to defend her lightweight belts against undefeated Argentinian Karen Elizabeth Carabajal.

The undisputed champion has not been seen in action since defeating Amanda Serrano in a fight of the year contender almost five months ago at Madison Square Garden.

Taylor's next fight takes place at the OVO Arena Wembley in London - the same venue that she made her professional debut in back in 2016 and where she defeated Miriam Gutierrez in late 2020.

READ MORE: Who is Katie Taylor next opponent? Meet Karen Elizabeth Carabajal who is undefeated in 19 fights

But many fans of the Bray Bomber took to social media after the bout was announced to ask why it wasn't taking place in Ireland.

One posted: "Why not Croke Park?"

Another said: "Please explain to me why Katie Taylor doesn’t fight in Ireland. Makes no f***ing sense."

Someone else commented: "Should be in Croke Park."

Taylor has never fought on Irish soil as a professional and has long been linked with a homecoming fight at Croke Park.

A general view of Croke Park (©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo)

There were hopes that GAA Headquarters could stage a massive rematch between the 36-year-old and Serrano this autumn, but the Puerto Rican instead opted to face Sarah Mahfoud for the opportunity to become the undisputed featherweight world champion, with that fight taking place in Manchester this weekend.

Despite fans' frustrations with the Carabajal bout not taking place in Dublin, Taylor's promoter Eddie Hearn has made it clear that the only fight he thinks is big enough for Croke Park is the Serrano rematch.

As well as that, the last weekend in October wouldn't be the greatest time of the year to stage a large outdoor event anywhere in Ireland for obvious reasons.

Speaking after the fight was announced, Taylor said she is "excited about what's still to come".

Katie Taylor after her win over Amanda Serrano (Getty Images)

She commented: “It's hard to believe it's been almost six years since I made by pro debut there so it's great to go back now and headline.

"It's been an amazing journey so far but there are still lots of great fights out there for me and I'm excited about what's still to come.”

Carabajal comes into the bout as a massive underdog, but the 32-year-old is confident of pulling off an upset.

She said: “I was very happy when I received the offer to challenge Katie. The hard work has paid off. I'm not thinking for a second about giving Katie a win. All the belts with come back to Argentina with me!”

Irish fighters Caoimhin Agyarko and Gary Cully are among those in action on the undercard on October 29.

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